Chapter 14
14
After the rehearsal, Esme stood outside the theatre with Parker and filled him in on all the events of her day.
‘Thank fudge it’s all sorted. I was going to go bald with the stress and it wasn’t even me going through it,’ he said as he hugged Esme. ‘And believe me, bald is not something that would look good on this.’ He gestures to his body and Esme giggled.
‘I know, I’m so relieved to still have a job. Anyway, how are you feeling about the play now?’
Parker huffed and dropped his shoulders. ‘Terrified. You?’
Esme laughed. ‘About the same. I just don’t see how we’re going to be ready.’
Parker glanced over his shoulder towards the theatre as more people filtered out. He lowered his voice. ‘I know. And I worry about poor Sylvia having a heart attack or something, she seems so stressed with the whole thing. Anyway, at least your costume is nice. Zach and Judd will be fighting over you when they see you in it.’
Esme grinned and shook her head. ‘I doubt either of them will come. And how many times do I need to tell you that Judd is just a friend and Zach is out of my league?’
‘Oh, stop it. You can’t really think that? I’d say you’re out of his league.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Dammit, I’d better go. Poor Gladys will think I’ve moved out without her.’
‘Pfft. Betty won’t even realise I’ve gone. She’ll be sat on her new bestie getting belly rubs.’
Parker pursed his lips. ‘Ooh, belly rubs from Judd, now that does sound nice, where do I sign up for that treatment?’ He burst into cackling laughter and jogged off towards his car. ‘Come on, I’ll drop you home.’
* * *
On Sunday afternoon, the day of the barbecue, Judd placed a mug of coffee on the table in front of Esme. ‘I’ve checked the weather on my app, and it’s supposed to be quite nice this evening. Not much of a breeze, dry and not too chilly either. Although you might want to take a jacket in case we get another surprise rainstorm. These predictions can never be trusted 100 per cent.’
‘Thanks, Dad,’ Esme teased with a grin.
He appeared to ignore her. ‘Did you know, on average Scotland gets the most rain out of all the countries in the UK? More than 1,500 millimetres of rain per year! And that, depending on where you live, you can expect anywhere between 170 and 265 days with rain each year?’
‘I did not know that.’ So, the weather must have been a past hyperfixation , Esme guessed. She had done a little research of her own into autism and ADHD in a bid to understand her housemate a little more. Things were making so much more sense now.
He narrowed his eyes. ‘Yeah, smart arse, so you’re always better to take a jacket to be on the safe side.’
Esme laughed. ‘Oooh, handbags at dawn. I’ll be sure to take my brolly too.’
‘And wear some sensible shoes so I don’t have to carry you again,’ he said with a playful nudge to her shoulder.
* * *
At around eight o’clock on Sunday evening, Esme and Judd walked across the castle grounds, heading for the loch. Esme had opted for jeans and a sweater under a padded jacket with her umbrella tucked under her arm and a Drumblair tartan scarf hanging loosely around her neck. Judd was in jeans, a hoodie from a shop called Saltrock and a gilet. He looked good, Esme observed, and as always he smelled so fresh and woodsy; a smell all of his own that she was growing to really like.
As Judd had predicted, with the help of the weather app on his phone of course, there was little to no breeze and the sky overhead was a deep inky blue with pinpricks of light twinkling like scattered sequins. The more Esme stared and relaxed her eyes, the more dots of light became visible in the vast darkness.
A shooting star shot from left to right in her periphery. ‘Oh, wow!’
‘Yeah, I saw that too. Not only are they shooting stars on the film set but we’re getting a display in the sky. Funny, eh?’
‘Ooh, another one!’ Esme gasped as she pointed. ‘It’s quite romantic, isn’t it?’ she said aloud without meaning to let her thoughts escape.
‘I love the sky around here,’ Judd said with a deep, contented sigh as they stopped for a moment and stared up at the starlit canopy above. ‘Not a bit of light pollution.’ He smiled. ‘Makes it easier to see all the different constellations.’
‘Are you into astronomy?’ she asked, intrigued by the little snippets she had been finding out lately about her housemate and his knowledge of the most surprising things. ‘I bet you know all the constellations, don’t you?’
He laughed lightly and draped an arm around her shoulder. ‘Oh, yeah… for example…’ He pointed off into the distance. ‘Over there you can see the big… erm… pizza dish, and beside it is the tiny cactus. And let’s not forget the falling man over there, and beside him is the great, pointed, lesser… erm… spotted spangle.’
Esme giggled. ‘I’ll take that as a no then.’ She gazed up at him and his attention was now focused on her. They were so close she could feel the warmth of his body. Something in the air crackled between them and her smile disappeared. Her heartrate picked up and she glanced briefly at his mouth. What would it be like to kiss those lips? The question in her mind seemed to come out of nowhere and took her a little by surprise. She watched as he swallowed, clearly feeling whatever it was too. He leaned forward as if it was an involuntary action, like she was a magnet and he was being drawn in.
But all too soon he seemed to snap out of it and removed his arm from her shoulder before rubbing a hand over his stubbled chin. ‘Och, you caught me. I know nothing but I wish I knew more though to be honest. I’d love a telescope, and I don’t really know why I’ve never bought one.’ He appeared to be rambling now whereas Esme was still trying to process the feeling she had just experienced and stood in a stunned silence. ‘Aye,’ he continued, ‘maybe that way I could attract more girls by pointing out all the proper names of the constellations like that Yorkshire sciencey bloke with the perfect teeth.’
‘Professor Brian Cox?’ Esme asked with a wide smile.
‘All right, show off,’ he said with a nudge. ‘I bet he has women queuing up to date him though.’
Esme narrowed her eyes. ‘Erm… I believe he’s happily married actually.’
Judd lifted his arms and let them flop to his sides. ‘Ugh, you see. That’s what I mean. You know loads of stuff about the universe and women can’t keep their hands off you. I know lots about plants and… well, enough said.’ He gestured around him as if to exaggerate the lack of female attention he was in receipt of.
‘In all honesty I think knowing about plants is pretty special. It shows you can care for other living organisms which is a good quality.’
‘If you say so. Although thankfully plants can’t verbally complain if you forget to water them, nor can they report you to social services. Don’t you fancy the professor then?’ Judd asked, his eyes glinting in the dimming light.
She scrunched her nose. ‘He’s not really my type.’
‘What is your type?’ His gaze was all at once locked on her again and a crease had appeared between his eyebrows. As if he too had spoken his innermost thoughts aloud without intending to, he wagged a finger at her. ‘Hang on… let me guess… you only have eyes for Zach Marchand.’ He followed his comment with an eye roll, but it was clear he was teasing.
Esme was glad for the cover of darkness because her face had flamed. She shrugged. ‘He’s very handsome but he’s not likely to want to date someone like me, is he?’
As if the moment had been imagined, their conversation returned to normal. Judd frowned. ‘Why not? He always seems to want to talk to you, and anyway you’re equally as attractive as someone like Lucille Delgado. In fact, we’ve both discovered she’s anything but beautiful on the inside, remember? And you can’t tell me that’s even her real name. It’s probably Lucy Johnson or something equally prosaic. I don’t know why famous people can’t just use their given names.’
Esme thought back to Zach’s explanation. ‘It’s something to do with… ugh, I can’t remember the acronym but it’s to do with no two famous people being allowed to have the same name.’
‘Oh, right. So why do they choose such flashy-sounding noms de geurre ?’
Esme laughed. ‘All right, Inspector Clouseau, swallow a French dictionary, did we?’
‘ Peut-être oui .’ He pretended to twiddle an invisible moustache. ‘I mean it though. What’s wrong with Lucy Johnson? It’s a solid-sounding name.’
‘Says the man with a movie-star name, Judd Cowan .’
Judd scoffed. ‘Oh, yeah, because names with bovine connections are so cool.’
‘It hasn’t done Simon Cow ell any harm.’
‘Great example, Esme,’ he teased. ‘Anyway, how did you get your name? It’s not exactly common, is it?’
‘Ugh. My mum was obsessed with The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the female lead character Esmerelda. I hate it.’
Judd grinned. ‘At least she didn’t call you Hunchy, or worse still Quasimodo.’ He threw his head back and guffawed. ‘I may have just found your new nickname. Come on, Quasi.’
Esme whacked him playfully. ‘Get lost. Okay, so now we’re on the subject, how did you get your name? Was your mum an eighties Brat Pack fan?’
Judd crumpled his brow. ‘A what?’
‘Judd Nelson. He was one of the Brat Pack. He was in St Elmo’s Fire, among other things.’
‘Nah. Nothing as exciting as that. My given name is actually George, but when I was born, my cousin, who was around two at the time, couldn’t say that and used to call me Jug. Then it progressed to Judd and sort of… stuck.’
‘Oh, yeah? And what’s wrong with George Cowan? It’s a very solid-sounding name .’ Esme used his own words against him in a voice that mimicked his.
He rolled his eyes. ‘Okay, okay, it’s a fair cop.’ He waved a hand. ‘Anyway, we’re already late so we should be going.’ They set off walking again until Judd stopped once more. ‘All joking aside, don’t you think the sky is such a romantic thing to be gazing up at and discussing, and yet here we are, both single. It’s a shame, really. Our looks and talent are being wasted; wouldn’t you agree?’
Esme smirked. ‘You speak for yourself. I’m playing Juliet opposite the hottest man am dram has ever encountered.’ She immediately felt cruel for making fun of Bryce. ‘Bless him, Bryce’s so nice though.’
‘I’ve heard about his new hair piece. Poor guy. There’s nothing wrong with growing old gracefully.’ They walked a little further and Judd blurted, ‘Hey, did you know that we’re all getting invites to the red-carpet event for the movie? Eilidh has sorted it as a bit of a thank you.’
This was the first Esme had heard of such a thing. ‘No! Are we? The film premiere? Seriously?’ Her heart skipped at the thought.
He nodded. ‘Seriously. Kerr was telling me on Friday. It won’t be for a year, give or take, but how exciting is that?’
‘Crazy exciting. I have no clue what to wear.’
‘You’ve ages to plan that. Anyway, you and I should make a pact. By the time the film premieres, if we’re still both single we should go together.’
Esme crumpled her brow and her heart skipped as she thought back to the moment they had shared in the not too distant past. ‘Do you mean as a date?’
He shrugged and was clearly trying to appear nonchalant. ‘Why not?’
Esme knew first hand how much could happen in twelve months. ‘It’s a long time though, a year.’
‘Aye and you’ll no doubt be married or something. I’ve seen how Zach looks at you.’
‘Oh, stop it. You and Parker obviously see things that aren’t really there.’
‘Ahhh, so, the Parkernator thinks he likes you too, eh?’
Esme burst into laughter. ‘The Parkernator? Does he know you call him that?’
She wondered why Judd didn’t reply but when she looked up at him she realised he was peering straight ahead and a wide smile spread across his face. ‘Well, I think the sky gods are out to impress tonight. First shooting stars and now this!’
Esme had her back to the direction of his gaze, so she turned around and was met with the most incredible sight. Above the loch danced a moving wave of green and purple lights and she gasped.
As if without thinking, Judd’s arm slipped around her shoulder again and he squeezed her into his side. ‘Isn’t that spectacular?’
‘It’s absolutely stunning,’ Esme replied as tears welled in her eyes. She had only ever witnessed the aurora borealis in photographs and it was a strange time of year for it to be visible, but it was the most magical thing she had ever seen. It really was as if someone were putting on a light show just for them.
It felt nice to have his arm around her too. She was a little concerned by the way her heart responded to his touch because they were housemates and any detour from simple friendship could potentially make things tricky.
As if reading her mind, he stepped away and cleared his throat. ‘Come on, we really should get down there.’
* * *
By the time they arrived at the loch side, everyone else was already there. Music was playing from an iPhone linked up to a speaker and ‘Shiver’ by Coldplay was the current track – Esme knew the song and the lyrics and couldn’t help but wonder if the universe was trying to tell her something after the shooting stars and the northern lights, and now this song. Judd had gone over to say hi to Noah but he turned to look at her and smiled. Was she imagining things or was his smile tinged with sadness?
She tried her best to stop thinking about it and instead took in her surroundings. There was a pop-up gazebo strung with fairy lights, and torchieres had been stuck into the shingle, their light casting an amber glow of moving shadows over the faces of the people in attendance. Folding chairs had been brought down from the boathouse where the outdoor café furniture was stored, and a few tables too. It looked amazing. There was a group of people at the water’s edge gazing up at the impromptu light show while some danced, holding their drinks aloft as the track changed to something with a dance beat from the mid-2000s. The smell of cooking wafted through the air and made Esme’s stomach growl. She had forgotten to eat lunch again; something Judd had badgered her about earlier on.
‘That’s the kind of thing I do. I think my habits are becoming yours and we haven’t even been living together that long,’ he’d said and she had resisted the urge to sarcastically call him ‘Dad’ again. But now she was watching him in her periphery, like some love-struck teenager with a secret crush she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, voice.
Parker spotted her and came jogging over, singing along to ‘I Gotta a Feeling’ by the Black Eyed Peas. He spun her around as he serenaded her.
Judd came back over as someone, presumably a film crew member, walked over with a large plastic tote filled with ice and bottles of beer. Judd grabbed two, removed the lids with a twist and handed one to Esme.
‘We should have been having loch-side parties long before now!’ Parker said. His eyes glistened in the torch light, and it was clear he’d had a few drinks already.
The Black Eyed Peas faded and were replaced by Bon Jovi and ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’. Another band Esme’s dad loved.
Parker curled his lip. ‘Ooh, a song about Rhys. Booooooo! Anyway, what’s with the old folks’ music?’ he shouted at no one in particular.
Judd laughed. ‘Erm, some of us young folk, with discerning taste I might add, happen to like this stuff. Jon Bon Jovi is a legend. He does all sorts for charity, you know.’
Parker rolled his eyes. ‘Ugh, not you too. That’s it, Esme, you definitely can’t date him now.’ He jogged off to chase the guy with the drinks.
Esme widened her eyes and opened her mouth to protest but it was too late. Parker had disappeared into the crowd.
‘So, you’ve discussed dating me with the Parkernator, have you?’ Judd asked with a smile and a glint in his eyes.
‘Actually, no, I have absolutely no idea why he said that.’
A look of disappointment flashed over Judd’s face. ‘No, course not. I was only kidding around. I’m going to go grab a burger. Want one?’
Esme shook her head, and a twinge of guilt tugged at her and tightened her stomach, so her appetite vanished. ‘No, I’m okay just now, thanks.’
‘No worries.’ He wandered off in the direction of the barbecue. Moments later she spotted him chatting animatedly to a brunette with her hair in two fashionably scruffy pigtails. Her arms and legs were covered with tattoos and her piercings glinted in the light of the torchieres. Esme recognised her as one of the runners from the set. She was laughing at whatever Judd was saying and kept touching his arm. Judd seemed smitten too. No need for the naked dance this time, eh, Judd? Esme thought to herself as a tiny twinge of sadness caught her off guard again.
She spotted Zach walking towards her. ‘Hey, I’m so glad you came.’ He kissed her cheek and lingered a little longer than she expected.
‘I wouldn’t have missed it for anything,’ she replied, hoping he couldn’t see the colour of her face.
He glanced towards her feet. ‘No Betty?’
Esme laughed. ‘Oh, no, she was happily snuggled up in front of the log burner and didn’t want to budge.’
He smiled briefly. ‘Sensible pooch. You didn’t see Lucille on your way down, did you?’ He glanced around nervously, and then back to Esme.
She shook her head. ‘No, sorry. Has she not come?’
Still checking out the area, he chewed his thumbnail and said, ‘Yeah, she was here but we had a falling out, again.’ He rolled his eyes and shook his head. ‘She stormed off and hasn’t come back. She’d started drinking at lunch time and was already pissed when we arrived. I’m just concerned about her. She’s not in a good headspace right now.’
‘Oh? How come?’
Zach pursed his lips and squinted. ‘I probably shouldn’t say… but… she got a telling off about the whole situation with you and how she had lied to get you in trouble.’
Esme made an O with her lips but didn’t know what to say.
‘Yeah, she’s her own worst enemy. I think I should go look for her.’
‘Want some help?’ Esme asked, feeling bad that she had been the reason for Lucille’s mood.
Zach perked up. ‘Would you mind? I’d really appreciate it. I know she and I are no longer… you know… but I still feel responsible for her, for some reason.’
‘She is an adult, though, Zach. You shouldn’t have to babysit her.’
He cringed. ‘Yeah, I know. But when she drinks she gets… well, you can guess.’
She nodded. ‘I’ll go get Judd and maybe he can help too. What about asking some of the crew to join us?’
Zach’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, God, no. They can’t know she’s gone off like this again. They’ll fire her. She always causes some kind of drama, no matter what set she’s on, and there are so many directors who won’t sign her now.’
Interesting . Esme nodded. ‘Okay. Just us three then?’
Zach nodded. ‘Thanks.’